Bundesliga: Europa League Winners Up Next for Surprise Leaders

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Union Berlin

If you had told me at the start of the season that this meeting would involve the Bundesliga leaders, I may have suspected that Europa League holders Eintracht Frankfurt had made a scintillating start.

Then reigning champions Bayern Munich hit them for six on the opening weekend and I changed my mind.

No amount of favourable SBOTOP Bundesliga 2022 betting odds would have persuaded me to back Union Berlin to be the leaders, even though they only missed out on Champions League qualification last term by a solitary point.

However, that is exactly the position they find themselves in going into October and, with the only unbeaten record still in place too, the club from the capital deserve enormous credit.

Talking Points

Union Berlin went top of the German Bundesliga for the first time in their history by edging past Cologne earlier this month and remain there.

They had already shown their mettle by holding Bayern at home at the start of September, a result which unseated the Bavarians at the top of the table.

A few weeks earlier, Leipzig, the side which pipped them to fourth spot, were despatched to leave them still searching for their first win in the capital.

The man who has led Union throughout this impressive spell is Urs Fischer.

The 56-year-old coach has done a masterful job maximising his squad amid limited resources but his success is even more impressive given the club has regularly sold its leading Bundesliga scorer in recent seasons.

After Sebastian Andersson and Max Kruse, it was Taiwo Awoniyi’s turn to move on as he was sold to Nottingham Forest this summer following his breakout campaign where he scored 15 goals.

Despite this, Bundesliga 2022 highlights have continued and it is a wonderful story for a team that, at one stage, were considered East German also-rans and are now are early season Bundesliga leaders.

It’s quite a turnaround for a club which won the East German Cup in 1968 before the following two decades, that proceeded German Reunification in 1989, saw flitting up and down the country’s doldrum divisions.

From there, they watched city rivals Hertha double down on their status as the premier outfit in the capital, but Union’s first-ever promotion from the Regionalliga Nord to Bundesliga 2 in 2001 suggested the promise that the club is now finally fulfilling.

That same season saw third-tier Union contest the DFB Cup final and, although they lost the showpiece to Schalke, it was enough to earn a spot in the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history.

The boom would turn to bust after back-to-back relegations in 2004 and 2005, prior to a return to the second tier in 2009.

A third-place finish in the 2018/19 Bundesliga 2 campaign set up a top-flight debut as they overcame VfB Stuttgart on away goals in the promotion/relegation play-off.

Now, for those that have poured so much into the club, they are now not just seeing the fruits of their labour, they’re reaping them.

Saturday’s hosts, Frankfurt, know all about ups and downs – albeit not on that scale – and have shown plenty of their own promise in 2022 – most notably their first European triumph since 1980.

That is just one of the reasons which makes this fixture so exciting and, even at this stage, a game which could well have a bearing on the race for the top four come next May.

History

Evan N’Dicka scored a last-gasp winner in this fixture for Frankfurt last season.

Ninety-five minutes were on the clock when he earned victory for the hosts after Djibril Sow and Kruse (penalty) had found the net.

The return match, in April, saw Berlin run out 2-0 winners, courtesy of two goals in the opening 20 minutes from Awoniyi and Grischa Promel.

That was one of two victories in their last eight they have managed against Frankfurt. The other arrived in 2020 when Andersson and N’Dicka were the marksmen in a 2-1 away win.

That was only their second ever meeting in the Bundesliga with all previous contests coming in the German Second Division.

In three meetings between 2001 and 2011, the best Berlin could manage was three draws, while their sole German Cup clash in 2007 saw Alexander Meier score a hat-trick in a 4-1 Frankfurt success.

Overall, Frankfurt have won seven of their 13 meetings with four draws.

Betting Tip

The hosts have the edge with our betting odds and can be backed 1X2 @ 2.28 with Berlin priced @ 3.15.

Likewise, with Asian Handicap, Frankfurt are available -0.50 @ 2.28 compared to Union Berlin 0.00 @ 2.42.

The draw is on offer @ 3.20 and, with Frankfurt perhaps having one eye on their forthcoming Champions League meeting with Spurs, I am plumping for that as my two-star tip.

 

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